Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-21
BARRETO,S BRAVE DEFENCE.
SingIe.Handed he ResIsts an Attacl
 by a Band of Bernals Rrtgands.
 IFrom the San Francisco Chronicle

SingIe.Handed he ResIsts an Attack by a Band of Berna1s BrIgands.
 [From the San Francisco Chronicle.l Among the passengers of the quarantined
 steamer Granada, which arrived in port Fri
 day, is Jose Lorenzo y Barreto, of Guada- lupe, in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico, who shot and killed four men of the bandit king
 Eraclio Bsrnal's band on the 3d of June last.
 Meagre details of the attack on the isolated mining camp, which Barreto defended brave ly and almost alone, have reached the Uni- ted States. Barreto is part owner Of the Estaca gold mine, short distance from Guadalupe The night before Bernal made his descent Barreto and his partner, Francis co Echeguren, brought from Guadalupe nine thousand dollars to pay off the men. This money was placed in 8 safe in the company's store. Bernal became possessed of this in- formation, and early next morning Barreto, who slept in the store near the safe, was awakened by a demand to open the door. He arose, and looking out through a window, saw score of armed men. He refused to open the door, and was told he did so at the peril of his life.
 One man, who was evidently one of Der nal's lieutenants and leader of the party, N time to form plan of action. He was alone against twenty or twenty-five men. The door was heavily barred, the building was g | strong one, so he determined to resist, and I resolved to sell life dearly. Like all stores l in that country, the company's establish ment was we'll supplied with firearms Bar reto collected all the rifles, pistols and am munition he could and took his station neal | the window As soon as he heard the ban dits hammering at the door with the butt ends of their rifles he began firing at them ! through the window. The promiscuous re- ports of rifles and pistols made the bandits believe that they had been expected, and that the store was well defended. Barretc was therefore overjoyed when he saw them retreat, bearing with them several wounded ! but keeping up an indiscriminate fire at the enemy concealed behind the window in the store.
 Escape was impossible The band was still in sight, but Barreto hoped that the fir ing had awakened the miners and his part ners, who would form a small army and come to his rescue. The superintendent of ! the mine and Barreto's partner, Echeguren, | did try to rally the men, but fearing BernaIs l wrath, even if they escaped with their lives, | the latter refused to proceed to the rescue \ They said that Bernal was sure, sooner or | later. to return with larger force if defeat | ed that time, and would annihilate them all. l Echeguren and the superintendent followed | the men into the mine where they sought | safety.
 Barreto, who was anxiously awaiting de velopments in his improvised fortress, soon discovered, to his utter dismay and disgust that the retreat of the bandit leader was sim ply ruse to gain time, as he was awaltinE endorsements under the leadership of tn
 bandit king. Bernal himself, and which ar
 rived just as the miners, Echeguren and tn
 superintendent were entering the mine
 Barreto saw from the window that Bernal
 after speedy consultation with his ieuten
 ants, had formed plan. There were abou
 ! one hundred and fifty men in all. One-hal
 of them immediately opened fire on the win
 dow behind which Barreto was concealed while the others proceeded to pound in th door, which of course finally yielded. Bal reto in the meantime had kept up continI ous fire, killing four and wounding six mer himself being wounded in the arm. Bern'